Rochester woman hopes to study Madagascan wildlife

ROCHESTER — Corey Tondreau is an undergraduate student at the University of Vermont, who graduated from Spaulding High School in 2011 in the top 10 percent of her class.

“I am majoring in wildlife biology and plan to join the Peace Corps once I graduate,” she said. “Upon return, I am hoping to find a job within the wildlife sector, either state-run or a non-profit organization, and invest my skills into bettering and protecting wildlife.”

Near the end of January 2013, Tondreau hopes to embark on a journey of a lifetime. She has been accepted into the School for International Training’s program — Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management.

“I hope to spend 15 weeks doing field research on a topic of my choice, traveling to various state parks, and using both social and natural-science perspectives to aid in Madagascar’s on-going predicament: finding the balance between development and conservation,” she said. “I will be given the chance to apply concepts I have learned in the classroom to real-life situations, an opportunity that is rare to come by so early in my profession.”

There is just one snag. In the next few weeks, Tondreau has to raise the money needed to cover her airfare to the Indian Ocean island (via South Africa) and the malaria, typhoid and rabies immunizations she needs to stay in that country.

“I come from a low-income family which depends primarily on financial aid to cover tuition costs. It turns out that much of this aid does not apply to study abroad expenses. My tuition and room and board fees in Madagascar are covered, but airfare, immunization costs, and in-country personal expenses are not. I am about $3,000 short of being able to participate in this amazing opportunity,” she said.

Tondreau’s dad is a construction worker who has been badly impacted by the recession, her mom works for Community Partners, and her younger brother is a Spaulding student.

To help with her fundraising appeal, Tondreau has a website that people can access and contribute directly to her cause if they are so inclined. It is www.youcaring.com/tuition-fundraiser/studyabroadmadagascar/30408.

Tondrea, who has been on the dean’s list for each semester she has been enrolled at UVM, notes that both at high school and college she has been active in a number of organizations.

“In high school I participated in many activities, such as the Student Environmental Action Coalition, the French Honor Society, and the National Honor Society. I have been a member of the Wildlife Society UVM Wildlife and Fisheries Society Student Chapter for two years,” she said.

If she is able to raise the money for her airfare, Tondrea will take off from Logan Airport in Boston on Jan. 29, 2013, change planes in Johannesburg, South Africa, and then fly to Antananarivo, which is the capital of Madagascar. The country gained its independence from France in 1960, but French is still one of the two official languages, the other being the native tongue, Malagasy.

At UVM, Tondreau is minoring in French, and says she will be studying Malagasy, so that she will be able to converse with her host families.

During her stay she will visit the country’s national parks, and her own research, while there, will center on lemurs, of which there are more than 100 species.

Wikipedia notes, “Lemurs are important for research because their mix of primitive characteristics and traits shared with anthropoid primates can yield insights on primate and human evolution. However, many lemur species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and hunting. Although local traditions generally help protect lemurs and their forests, illegal logging, widespread poverty, and political instability hinder and undermine conservation efforts.”

In her appeal to raise $3,000, Tondrea says, “I am wondering if you would be so generous as to donate to my cause. I would be so thankful if you could invest in my future and allow my wildest dreams to come true. If you are not able to donate, passing on this message would help just as much.”

Her fundraising site, once again, is www.youcaring.com/tuition-fundraiser/studyabroadmadagascar/30408.